Online shoppers can find the “bargain” deal they discovered turns out to be anything but when stung by hidden fees, surcharges and costly customer service.

But thanks to an EU law which comes into effect tomorrow a raft of new rules will be in place to protect our pockets when buying products and services on the web.

Experts have predicted Irish people will spend nearly €13billion a year online by the year 2020 so it’s worth ensuring they’re looked after in such a lucrative marketplace.

With the measures we’ll have more time to cancel orders, we can dodge hidden fees and get in touch with sellers without breaking the bank on pricey phone calls.

The Irish Mirror outlines some of the new rights:

We’ve all been there. It’s late, you’ve had a couple of drinks and you’ve convinced yourself you deserve that €500 pool table even though you live in a studio flat. Under existing legislation, punters had a week to cancel an online contract without having to give a reason.

Now, consumers will have two weeks to mull over whether or not they want to keep that pricey purchase at home.

Consumers who buy music, films and books in digital format can avail of the two week cooling-off period for the first time.

But this will only extend up to the moment you consent to the actual downloading process beginning.

Punters will be refunded quicker than previously. So if you’ve cancelled your funny T-shirts within 30 days of ordering them you have to be refunded within two weeks from the date you told the seller of your cancellation.

For too long online consumers have seen a cracking deal and tried to buy something for a song.

But by the time they hit “purchase” it has actually cost them twice that amount thanks to a rake of hidden charges and fees.

Sellers will now be forced to disclose the total cost of a good or service, including any extra fees, before the consumer places an order.

And if the secret fees weren’t highlighted at that time, buyers will not have to pay them.

With a new ban on surcharges traders will not be allowed to charge card fees that are more than the actual cost of processing a debit or credit card payment.

If you do have a problem you won’t have to ring a number that costs an arm and a leg – phone lines will cost no more than the basic rate, and

Pre-ticked boxes – the sneakiest way of getting you to spend your cash without you even noticing.

This is where you would have to opt-out of certain extras tacked on top of what you had been expecting to pay.

But now the onus will be on the customer to say they actually want the additional products or services offered by the likes of insurance companies and car hire firms.

This aims to ensure consumers do not unwittingly pay for services that they do not need.

EU bosses said they designed the new laws to make sure there’s a greater degree of protection for customers in the digital age.

The European Commission will submit a report on the application of the directive to the European Council and Parliament before December 13, 2016.

They hope the laws will give people more confidence to shop online without fearing they are being swindled.